


No pain, no gain

by Buckybeardreams



Series: The Classifieds [35]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Baby!Tony, Bucky Barnes's Metal Arm, Classifications, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Hurt, Little!Bucky - Freeform, Little!Tony, Littles Are Known, Non-Sexual Age Play, alternate universe - classifications, caregiver!Sam, little!steve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:27:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27748246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Buckybeardreams/pseuds/Buckybeardreams
Summary: Bucky gets a new arm.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Sam Wilson, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers & Tony Stark & Sam Wilson, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Tony Stark & Sam Wilson, Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Series: The Classifieds [35]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1898527
Comments: 27
Kudos: 81





	No pain, no gain

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so disclaimer. I think I fucked up the timeline a bit. I don't recall how long Bucky was in the hospital for, and I just realized that I said Tony spent 10 days in Wakanda, and he came back the day before V-day, which would be on the 14th of Feb. I'm pretty sure that it was like mid Jan, when Bucky and Steve went away on their mission, or maybe early Jan, I'm just not sure at this point.
> 
> So, if I fucked that up, I'm sorry and we're gonna pretend that January was really long this year lol, cuz I'm not gonna go back and fix that.

"Really, Tony? The day after Valentine's Day, is the day you choose to tell us this?" Steve said, sounding angry.

"Yes, really. Would you rather I have waited?" Tony snapped.

Steve scoffed. Bucky was sitting on the couch, staring blankly down at his hands, not aware of their argument. He was lost inside. Numb.

"I wish you would have told us the moment you decided to give Bucky spinal surgery!"

Tony sighed, pinching his nose in frustration.

"Okay. Fine. That's fair. Shuri says it's ready now though. There's no reason to wait. If we left right now, Bucky could have his new arm by tonight."

"I don't know, Tony. It's a lot to ask us to just take in all at one time. If this goes wrong, he could be paralyzed, right? I mean, it's his spine, Tony."

"I know, and I promise I wouldn't be asking this if I wasn't positive that Shuri could do it. She's phenomenal. Better than me even. That's not something I admit lightly."

"What does Sam say?" Bucky asked, looking up, finally turning into the conversation.

Tony hesitated.

"He doesn't know."

Bucky sighed, a heavy, tired sound, and stood up.

"I'm gonna go talk to him."

"Do you want us to come?" Tony asked.

"Not really."

Sam wasn't at home, when Bucky got there. He was working, Bucky knew that, but he'd forgotten in his rush to get there. He collapsed on the couch, his head falling to his hands. Sobs wracked his body as he sat there. He cried, feeling lost and confused and just wishing Sam was here to hold him. Eventually he dragged himself off of the couch and to his bed. He curled up under the covers, hugging Bucky Bear to him with his one arm. His tears wetting the bear's fur.

* * *

Sam got home and froze. The light in the living room was on. He glanced around the room, every muscle inside of him tensing up. His soldier instincts were ready for a fight, if it came to that. Then, his eyes landed on the boots on the ground. Bucky's. He relaxed, but it only lasted a moment.

"Shit." He muttered under his breath, dropping his bag on the ground.

He ran into the nursery, his heart racing. His Littles weren't supposed to be alone when they were dropped. They were just too Little. It wasn't like with Darcy who was a teen or even Bruce and Grant. His boy's were so young. None of them should be left to take care of themselves. Especially not Bucky with only one arm and a hell of a lot of trauma to accompany it. He sighed in relief when he saw the toddler curled up in bed.

Sam kicked off his own boots and crawled into bed next to him. Bucky stirred, his eyes fluttering open.

"Sammy?"

"Shh, it's okay, baby. I'm right here."

Bucky's lip quivered and he clung to Sam.

"Oh, Bucky! What's wrong, baby? Tell Sammy what's wrong."

"My awm, Sammy." He sobbed.

Sam's eyes widened. Bucky's shoulder shouldn't be bothering him. He hadn't given him any pain meds this week. Maybe it was foolish of him to assume that it was all better.

"Does it hurt?" Sam asked, already sitting up.

"No, Sammy. I gonna get a new one. Bu' I don' wanna."

Sam furrowed his brows at that. Bucky honestly hadn't mentioned the arm Tony was making for him on many occasions. Usually, it was only when Tony prompted it. He wasn't even sure how Bucky felt about the arm, but he'd had a feeling the boy wasn't as excited about it as Tony was. Apparently, he'd assumed correctly.

"Oh, Bucky. You don't have to, if you don't want to."

Sam knew even as he was saying it that Tony would most likely throw a fit, if Bucky refused the prosthetic. Sam didn't care though. This was Bucky's decision. Sam wasn't going to let him be pushed into doing something he wasn't comfortable with.

Bucky shook his head.

"I gotta, Sammy. Tony says so. Bu' I don' want no su'gewy."

Sam's heart broke and he pulled the boy close, cradling him to his chest.

"Shh, it's okay. I'll tell Tony no, baby. Don't worry about it. You don't have to do it."

Sam held him, until the boy was asleep again, before pulling his phone out and slipping out of the room.

"Tony? We need to talk." Sam said, his voice firm.

"Shit. Before you say anything, I promise he'll be fine. I know spinal surgery sounds scary, but I swear I wouldn't even be bringing it up, if I wasn't ninety-nine percent sure that this would work."

"What? Spinal surgery? What the hell are you talking about?"

Tony swallowed audibly.

"I thought Bucky would have told you."

Sam pinched his nose.

"No, he didn't, but that explains why he's so upset. Jesus, Tony, really? Spinal surgery? Are you insane?"

It was the harshest Sam had ever talked to his youngest Little, and he could tell, from the sharp intake of breath that Tony was hurt by his words. Sam took a deep breath to calm himself.

"I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. You need to come over and talk to me, Tony." Sam said, forcing his tone to even out.

"Um, yeah, I'm kinda busy. Maybe later."

Sam's anger spiked again.

"Anthony Edward Stark. You will come talk to me. If you're not here in twenty minutes, I will send Pepper."

It was the scariest threat Sam could think of. It did the trick.

Tony arrived in record time. Now, he was standing in front of Sam, looking anxious.

"Don't yell, okay. I know I should have told you earlier."

"Does Steve know?"

"I told him today, and I'm fairly certain he's at church praying for Bucky's safety and the return of my sanity."

Sam nodded.

"I shouldn't have said you were insane, Tony. That was harsh."

Tony waved off the apology, but Sam wasn't going to let this be brushed under the rug. He pulled the man in for a hug. Big or not, he was still Sam's Little and his friend. Tony stiffened, before wrapping his arms around Sam. His head dropping to his Caregiver's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Sammy." He mumbled.

"I know, baby. I'm sorry, too. I'm not mad at you. I was just scared, and I didn't handle it well."

There had been too much fear lately. It was really starting to get to Sam. Tony whimpered and hugged him tighter. Sam sighed and rubbed his back, until the boy was melting against him. Sam scooped him up, accepting the fact that they weren't going to be talking about this right now.

Sam laid the changing pad out on the bed, setting Tony down to grab a diaper and change of clothes for the baby. Tony crawled up the bed to bother his brother. The toddler whined, shoving his hands away from his face.

"Stop, Tony!" He complained.

Tony huffed, annoyed and crawled on top of him. Bucky whined and shoved the baby off of him, burrowing his face in the pillows. Tony started crying, and Sam pulled him off of the bed.

"Shh, you're okay. Bucky's sleeping, buddy."

Bucky wasn't asleep now, but he had been. The boy glared up at the fussy baby. Sam sighed. He bounced Tony, trying to calm him down.

"It's okay. It's okay. Here do you want Toutou?"

Tony fell silent immediately, when Sam plucked his puppy off of the bed. His eyes widened and he snatched up the stuffie, hugging it to his chest. Sam smiled, relieved. He kissed Tony's head and laid him back down on the changing pad. Sam grabbed a paci to pop in his mouth, before pulling his pants off. The Little was content to watch Sam, while sucking on his soother. His fingers rubbing his puppy's ear. Puppy and paci. That was all Little Tony needed to be content.

Tony giggled, when Sam dropped his shirt on his head, and pulled it off quickly, with a boo. The baby caught on immediately. This was a game that Bucky often played with babies, so Tony was very used to it. His hands flew up to cover his eyes.

"Boo!" He called out around his paci, when he pulled them away.

Sam gasped in surprise, like he was shocked to see Tony there.

The baby giggled again.

Sam coaxed him up to slip a onesie over his head. Tony dropped his puppy, just long enough to push his arms through, before flopping back down. Sam hadn't put a diaper on him yet, but it was a touch drafty. He didn't usually leave the heat on while he was working. It seemed like a waste. He kinda regretted it, now that he had two Littles home.

Tony didn't show any signs of embarrassment, when Sam removed his underwear. Which confirmed that he was fully Little. Not that Sam was really doubting it, at this point. Sam lifted his legs, slipping a diaper under him, and strapping it around his waist. Tony made grabby hands at Sam, once he had sweat pants on. Sam smiled and scooped him up, folding the changing pad, one handed.

It appeared that the toddler had gone back to sleep. Sam carried Tony out of the room, flicking off the light. He set Tony down, when he squirmed. Tony spit out his paci, which fell to the ground. Sam scooped it up.

"Baba?" He asked, tilting his head at Sam.

Sam grabbed his hand, pulling him into the kitchen.

"Come with Sammy, Tony. Let's go get you some milk."

"Miwk." The baby agreed. "No smoovie?"

Sam chuckled.

"Not this time, baby."

Tony had a thoughtful expression on his face. Sam could tell he was thinking hard about something. He wondered if maybe he was thinking about jogging. It had been a while since they'd done that. Maybe Steve would want to jog with them tomorrow.

"Mo'nin'." Tony said, with a firm nod, and a serious expression on his face.

The kind of serious expression only a baby could have.

"That's right, buddy. You're so smart, Tony. We have smoothies in the morning don't we?"

"Yeah. Sma't Tony."

Sam dropped the paci in the sink, thinking about the things Tony had told him about his uncle and father. It broke Sam's heart. He wanted to make sure his baby knew just how amazing he really was. Sam thought the world of his baby. Big or Little, Tony was brilliant.

"You are _so_ smart, Tony. My little genius."

Tony's face scrunched up at that, a strange look on his face. His eyes looked a bit haunted and Sam froze, crouching down to his level.

"Baby pwodigy." He said, slowly, something off about his tone, that made Sam's blood run cold.

Sam was worried that maybe he shouldn't have called him a genius. That was something that his father had always expected him to be, and something that his uncle had called him. It might have been the wrong thing to say. He licked his lips, wondering if he should say something to try and fix it, or to just distract the Little.

"Made a i'on." Tony told him, looking somewhere between scared and determined.

"Oh baby, no, you don't gotta be made of iron, Tony. That's not what I meant. You're perfect just the way you are. I promise, Tony. I promise." Sam said, his words firm, but oh so soft.

Tony's lip quivered.

"Dada? Baba."

Sam's breath hitched. He swallowed down those overwhelming emotions that seemed to want to rise up, when Tony called him that. He pulled his boy close, hugging him.

"Yeah, of course, buddy."

Tony plopped down on the ground, playing with his puppy, while Sam heated up his bottle. Sam kept glancing down at him, gnawing on his lip anxiously as he willed the bottle to heat up faster. Bucky wondered in, yawning. He looked at Tony on the floor and sat down next to him. Bucky chattered to the baby, and Tony gave him one or two word answers in between nods and grunts. Sam decided to just hand Tony his bottle, since Bucky was doing a good job keeping him distracted. He joined them on the floor, his back up against the cabinets.

Tony glanced up at him, crawling over and settling in between his legs, leaning back against Sam. The Caregiver wrapped his arms around him, burying his nose in his curls. Bucky frowned, pushing onto his knees, like he wanted to crawl, but realizing he couldn't do that. His lip quivered and Sam made a sound. Feeling that helplessness that he often felt when Bucky couldn't do something anymore. It was a feeling that came with being unable to fix a problem. It was in these moments that Sam thought, if Bucky could get a new arm, wouldn't it be worth it in the end?

"Oh, baby. Come here." 

Sam leaned over, grateful that the toddler was within arms reach, and pulled him closer. Bucky stifled his sobs, his face pressed up against Sam's arm. Tony didn't seem to notice that Bucky was sad, and for that, Sam was grateful.

They had a quick dinner of mac 'n cheese. Then, watched the new Frozen short film, Once Upon A Snowman, at least three times, before Bucky would take a bath. Sam eventually had to remind him that Natasha had given him Frozen soap and bubbles. That had him off the floor, where he'd been kicking and screaming, and running to the bathroom. The toddler was tugging at the Elsa shaped bubble bath, when Sam carried Tony in.

The baby looked curiously at it. Tony hadn't been home, since his trip, so he hadn't seen the bottle yet.

"Wook, baby. 'S Elsa."

Tony nodded.

"E'sa." He echoed.

"Good job, Tony. Dat's wight." Bucky praised him.

Tony beamed at him, looking awfully proud of himself. Sam wasn't sure how Tony would react to bubbles. It wasn't something they'd done with him. He took to it surprisingly well.

"Do you like bubbles, Tony?" Sam asked him, as he poked at the bubbles that surrounded him.

Tony tilted his head at him, before nodding.

"T'chawa." The baby told him.

Sam gave him an amused smile. He must have been given a bubble bath in Wakanda, then, Sam guessed. Tony looked over at the bucket of toys, frowning.

"No bwocks, Daddy?" The baby asked, stringing together the words, slowly.

The sentence was choppy, but Sam's heart tried to beat right out of his chest. Bucky's head snapped up, his eyes going wide. His jaw dropped, and the baby tilted his head at him.

"Bucky?" Tony asked.

"Why yo ca' Sammy dat?" Bucky said, sounding equal parts confused and outraged.

Tony blinked at him, before pouting at his brother's tone. Sam jumped in. He didn't want this to be a big deal, even if he kinda felt like jumping up and down.

"It's okay, Buck. Here do you want to play with your Frozen toys?" Sam offered up as a distraction.

Bucky looked torn for a moment, giving Tony a strange look. Sam was relieved when he nodded and held out his hand expectantly.

"Do you want Elsa?"

"Owaf." Bucky said.

The moment passed and Tony turned back to Sam, questioningly. It took Sam a moment to realize the baby wanted him to answer his question.

"We don't have any blocks for the tub, bud. We can build tomorrow." 

Sam didn't want to promise blocks tonight, because it was getting too late for playing. He really hoped that the boys would settle down and go to sleep after this.

"Bui'd." Tony agreed. "Mo'nin'."

"That's right. We can build in the morning."

"Smoovie." The baby said.

Sam chuckled. Look at his baby making connections and talking, just like a big boy. Tony didn't talk all that much when he was Little. Not like Steve and Bucky who often talked his ear off. Sam didn't mind either way, but there was something undeniably cute about Tony struggling to form sentences and get his point across. Sometimes he thought it was frustrating for Tony though, when others didn't seem to understand him.

Bucky's head popped up.

"Smoothie? I wan' one too." He demanded.

Sam held back his sigh.

"Do you want to put blueberries in your smoothie, tomorrow, Bucky?" Sam asked.

Bucky nodded.

"Yeah, bwuebewwies!" He cheered.

"Joggin'?" Tony asked Bucky.

Bucky nodded his head eagerly.

"Yeah, baby Tony. We can go joggin' wif Sammy 'n Stevie. 'N we can take ou' botta's wif us, 'n fishies."

Sam bit his tongue. He really hoped they didn't remember this in the morning. He would call Steve anyways. See if maybe he could come by in the morning. There was a good chance his boys would bring it up again, once they woke up and had their smoothies in hand.

* * *

Sam brushed a strand of hair behind Bucky's ear, pressing a kiss to his forehead. The boy's eyes were already fluttering shut. His arm clutching his bear to his chest.

"Goodnight, Bucky."

"Nanigh', Sammy." He mumbled, sleepily.

Sam smiled softly at him. His little angel. Bucky was just about the cutest thing when he was asleep. Though, his other two boys were equally as adorable. Sam wasn't one to choose favorites.

He leaned over and kissed Tony's head. The baby was watching him, sucking on his paci. He had his stuffie tucked under one arm. The other one was reaching up, his finger twirling his hair.

"Night, baby."

"Nanigh', Dada."

Sam's smile widened. His knuckles brushed Tony's cheek. He kissed his nose. The baby nuzzled against him with his own nose.

"I'll see you in the morning." He whispered.

"Bwocks. Smoovie." The baby said, with a nod.

Sam chuckled softly. Smart kid.

"Yeah, blocks and smoothies, bud."

Tony smiled. Sam stood up, clicking on the light that casted stars onto the ceiling.

"Sammy? Paci?" The baby called out as he headed for the door.

Sam turned on his heels, snatching up a pacifier that was tethered to a clip. Tony opened his mouth expectantly, and Sam popped the silicone nipple inside, and clipped it to his sleeper. Tony sucked at it, humming contentedly. Sam chuckled, leaving the room, the door cracked open allowing a strip of light into the nursery.

He pulled out his phone, calling up Steve.

"Sam?"

"Hey, Steve. How are you doing, man?"

Steve sighed.

"Stressed. Did you hear about Tony's plans for Bucky's new arm?"

"I did, and I'm more than happy to discuss that with you, but that's not why I'm calling. I haven't had the chance to talk to either of them Big, yet."

"They're both there? Even Tony?" Steve asked, sounding surprised.

"Yeah, they are."

"Oh. I thought- When I left Tony was heading to his lab."

"I called him over here and he dropped pretty quickly. How are you holding up?"

Steve hesitated.

"I'm not great, but I'm not Little, Sam."

"Fair enough. The boys have decided that we're taking them jogging tomorrow. I'm trying to figure out if that's actually a possibility."

There was a pause again, before Sam heard shuffling over the line. Steve sighed.

"Yeah. I could make that happen. I'll be there around ten."

Sam suppressed the urge to wave Steve off and tell him it wasn't important. He was eager to have all of his Littles close. He had a feeling that Steve was closer to dropping than he was letting on. Sam wanted to keep an eye on him. He didn't like relying too heavily on his eldest. He also didn't like wondering if Steve was Big so often, because he really didn't need to drop that often, or if he did it because he didn't want to be a burden.

"Thanks, Steve. Goodnight."

"Night, Sam."

* * *

Tony woke up to the sun breaking through the blinds and shining on the play mat, enticing him out of bed. His diaper was cold and squishy, but that didn't deter him from breaking free of Bucky's hold on him and crawling out of bed. He had his puppy in one hand, the poor stuffie thumping against the floor repeatedly as he crawled over to his bucket of wooden blocks.

He put his free hand on the lip of the bucket, pulling it down. The blocks came crashing out and Tony squealed. He didn't always enjoy loud noises, but there was something delightful about making them himself. A chain of events he was responsible for. Simple cause and effect. His hand swept through the pile, scattering them further, before he sat down and started stacking brightly colored blocks, one on top of the other.

He looked up, when Bucky called out from the bed.

"Watcha doin'?"

"Bwocks."

Bucky joined the baby, his own stuffie tucked under his arm. He had to set Bucky Bear down in his lap, in order to help stack. Sam raised a brow at the pair, when he came in, having heard the commotion.

"Morning, boys."

"Mo'nin', Sammy!" Bucky said.

Both kids burst out laughing when their tower fell over. Sam chuckled. His silly boys.

"Bwocks." Tony said, when Sam approached them.

"I see that. Alright, guys. It's time to change pants and get ready for the day."

Bucky frowned, and Tony glanced at him, copying his brother's expression. Sam stifled his laughter behind his hand.

"Come on! Who wants to go first?"

"Tony does." Bucky said, pointing at the baby.

Tony blinked at the toddler, before an offended look appeared on his features as Sam scooped him up. Sam tickled him, until he was giggling and happy. He put a clean diaper on the baby, and dressed him in layers. A onesie with sweats and a long sleeve over the top. He pulled out the socks that Natasha had gotten him, and Tony's eyes lit up.

"Cuw'ous geo'ge!"

"That's right, bud! Tasha got these ones for you, while you were in Wakanda."

"Tasha?" He questioned, tilting his head.

"Yeah! Tasha's da best, Tony. She gots me Elsa 'n bubba's. Dat's coo' wight?" Bucky chimed in.

Tony nodded, grabbing at the socks. Sam let Tony pick the ones he wanted to wear today, and stuck them on his feet. He let the baby crawl back to his blocks. Bucky pouted, when Sam pulled him away, but let Sam coax him out of his clothes and into a clean pull-up, without too much trouble. Sam dressed him in layers, as well. A long-sleeved onesie, which Bucky cried over with a purple Frozen tee over the top, to appease him. Bucky wanted jeans, too. They were made for Littles. The pant legs were loose, there were no zippers or buttons, and the waistband was stretchy.

Phil dropped off a new toothbrush for Bucky, that Natasha had picked out, but forgotten to give him, before Sam went to work yesterday. Sam had forgotten about himself, but when Bucky threw a fit over brushing his teeth, Sam whipped it out. The toddler went from melting down on the ground to refusing to let go of the vibrating tooth brush.

The kid must have spent a good fifteen minutes just holding it in his hand, while it buzzed and telling Sam all about the newest Frozen short film. Sam always found it funny how his Littles would describe things to him, as though he hadn't been there and experienced it firsthand. He never stopped them. They were pretty cute when they did so.

* * *

Tony was spoon feeding himself yogurt, and making an exceptional mess out of it, since he was refusing to let Sam feed it to him. He had already finished all of his eggs and bacon and gnawed a bit at a piece of toast, which was now soggy and covered in yogurt. Bucky was working slowly on his food, stopping to chatter in between each bite and often times while chewing as well. Sam had already finished his own breakfast, but stayed at the table. Eating together was something he enjoyed doing. He considered meals to be family time. Just like they were for him growing up. Sam often felt like something was missing, when he ate alone.

It was then, when Steve knocked on the door. His Littles always did that, even though they had keys. It was almost like they were giving him the option to keep them locked out and refuse their entry. The thought didn't sit well with Sam. He was on his feet at once and opening the door, telling Bucky to stay at the table first. The kid was a mess.

"Hey, Sam." Steve said, stepping inside.

"Hey, man, how's your morning going?"

"Alright, yours?"

Sam had a feeling from the way that Steve avoided his eyes, that it wasn't going so well.

"Good. Have you eaten? We're still working on breakfast."

"Oh."

Steve looked a bit surprised by this. Sam shrugged.

"Slow morning." He offered with a small smile.

Steve nodded, kicking off his shoes, before heading into the kitchen, which was half kitchen, half dining area. Bucky grinned up at him, trying to jump up.

"Stay at the table, baby." Steve told him, automatically.

Bucky pouted.

"Daddy!" He whined.

Sam heard the word and for the first time, he felt a twinge of jealousy. He shook it off. He didn't want to be jealous of his own Little. That was just silly. Steve kissed Tony's head. The baby barely looked up, busy playing in his yogurt, his bowl overturned. Sam decided investing in those bowls that suctioned to the tray, might be worth it. Especially, if Tony wanted to feed himself independently on a regular basis.

"Morning, baby." Steve greeted Tony, laughing as he sucked yogurt off of his fingers.

Steve ruffled Bucky's hair and took his usual seat next to the toddler. Bucky continued to chatter through the rest of the meal, even after his plate was cleared. Steve nodded along, shoveling down his own food, that Sam served him. Sam cooed at Tony, while he babbled nonsensically. They swapped kids after breakfast, Sam helping Bucky clean off and wash his hands, while Steve wiped down the baby.

Both Littles were eager to make smoothies. Bucky seemed to enjoy playing the role of the big brother. Directing Tony to put ingredients in the blender, and praising him each time he did so. Sam and Steve shared an adoring look, both clearly thinking it was just about the cutest thing ever. When Bucky saw Tony on Sam's lap drinking his bottle, he frowned and climbed up on Steve's lap with his sippy cup. He didn't request a bottle of his own, but he did seem happy to relax in Steve's arms while he drank down his purple smoothie.

They took the Littles out for a jog afterwards, letting them play on the playground, before returning home.

* * *

Tony and Steve switched places sometime in the early afternoon. The Caregiver was considering a nap for the Littles, when Tony climbed off of his lap and went into Sam's room and returned in his clothes. Sam raised a brow at him. Tony said we need to talk, Steve's eyes went wide and suddenly he was curled up on Sam's lap and Tony was holding Bucky.

Tony explained why connecting Bucky's arm to his spine made sense, in order to give him feelings and sensations. Sam was still worried about it. He told Tony point blank that if Bucky didn't want it, Tony would have to respect that. Tony wasn't thrilled, but agreed, albeit reluctantly. He also agreed to talk to the doctor who had worked on Bucky after the fall. Tony made it clear that it was a waste of time, but he'd do it to appease his Caregiver.

Which is how they found themselves back at the agency's medical center.

"You're the doctor?" Steve asked, giving the adult a skeptical look.

"I am. My name is Stephen Strange."

Bucky giggled.

"That's silly, isn't it, Stevie?"

"Stevie? You must be Steven, then?" The man asked.

Steve glared at him.

"It's Steve." The Little corrected.

Stephen didn't seem offended by the boys obvious distrust.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Steve. The first time Bucky found out about my name, he told me his big brother had the same name. You seem like a pretty cool kid, so I'm honored to share your name."

Steve pursed his lips and wrapped his arms protectively around Bucky. Bucky tilted his head at him.

"Stevie?"

"Shh, 'S okay, Buck. Imma protect ya."

Stephen looked amused.

"Okay, well, it's good to know I'm intimidating. Tony, I hear you're trying to give Bucky a very high tech prosthesis. Unlike anything we've ever seen before, according to Sam."

Tony clicked his tongue.

"That's right. I'd like to take full credit, but I had help. Sam wants me to go over the plan with you and get your expert opinion. Let's be clear, though. I have absolutely no intention of letting you derail my plans."

Stephen raised a brow. Sam looked about ready to interject, but the doctor raised his hand.

"Why don't you take the boys out to the waiting room? There's a kid table out there."

Sam nodded and ushered Bucky and Steve out.

"What about Tony?" Steve demanded.

"He's gonna talk to the nice doctor." Sam told him.

Steve huffed.

Tony crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes at the professional. Honestly, what qualified him to have a say in this? He might be a surgeon, but he's not an orthopedic surgeon.

"I know you're skeptical, but I have both a MD and a PhD-"

Tony was aware of this. He'd had Pepper look into the guy. He wasn't walking in here blind. Wasn't his style. Tony preferred to be well informed.

"You're a neurosurgeon. I'm sorry, but I don't even understand why they allowed you to work on Bucky in the first place." Tony cut him off, not sounding in the slightest bit apologetic.

Stephen clenched his jaw. He glared at Tony.

"Listen here, Mr. Stark. I'm aware that you think you're better than anyone else, because you own SI. I actually worked my ass off to get to where I am today. Clearly your knowledge of the medical industry is limited or you would know that I was trained to perform spinal surgery during my residency. What did you do? Your daddy died and you inherited a company and a fortune. What gives you the right to decide my patient needs spinal surgery."

Tony's eyes widened, and he practically snarled at the man's arrogance. The audacity.

"How dare you? I have multiple degrees."

"Yeah, in science and engineering. Not a medical degree. So, what qualifies you to decide what's best for my patient?"

Tony scoffed.

"He's _my_ boyfriend!" Tony snapped.

"So what? If we made a habit of letting partners okay unprecedented and radically dangerous surgeries that are completely unnecessary, where do you think we'd be? It would be one damn lawsuit after another. I'm not just looking out for you're boyfriend's best interest. I'm looking out for the agency he works for, Tony."

Tony rolled his eyes. They were barely an inch apart now, and Tony's eyes widened a fraction when he noticed. He cleared his throat stepping back.

"Fine. But you should know I would never risk Bucky's life. If I wasn't as sure as someone can be about surgery, I wouldn't be pushing for it."

Stephen nodded.

"Then, show me your designs and lay out the plan. I'd love to hear it."

Tony couldn't decide it the man was being sarcastic or not. He huffed and did just that.

They discussed the mechanics of the arm, which was Tony's expertise. He was surprised to find that the man could easily follow him, and understood everything that Tony threw at him.

"I think you're right. In order to give him back both a full range of movement and actual sensations, connecting directly to the central nervous system seems the most logical conclusion. It's something I wouldn't have considered doing on my own. It does seem unneccesarily risky, but if you're working with Shuri, I fully support it." Stephen said.

"Yeah? Worked with Wakanda's SIE, before?"

"Something like that. She fixed my hands after a bad accident. She was only fourteen at the time, too. I was desperate to find a solution and she was the only person willing to do what needed to be done. Now, I have full functiom in my hands again. I would call it a damn miracle, if I believed in that sort of thing. She might have given me a few pointers, too. She's brilliant."

Tony smirked.

"Agreed. Kids got skill. She's not just impressive for her age. She's impressive, period."

Stephen chuckled at that. They went on to discuss surgical plans. The hows and whys of each thing that Shuri planned to do.

"I wouldn't mind getting my hands on this prosthetic, before the surgery, but I don't have any objections to it." The doctor concluded.

"Like I said before, I can't take credit for the idea. It was really more of a team effort, than anything else. I'm glad to have you on board, Dr Strange."

Stephen nodded.

"Please, call me, Stephen."

"Only if you call me, Tony."

"Well, I don't doubt your brilliance, Tony. I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I can tell you're very talented and I'm happy to help out."

Tony shrugged.

"I was a rich kid, but my father didn't hand me anything. If I hadn't of fought for the company, I wouldn't be in charge of it. Though, admittedly my CEO runs it, now. I'm more of a pretty face."

Stephen raised a brow.

"I highly doubt that's all you are. You can be both pretty and skilled."

Tony blinked, blood rising to the surface and tinting his cheeks pink.

* * *

Sam looked up as Tony and the doctor stepped out of the room. He was a little shocked to see Tony smiling and chattering a mile a minute. His arms waving animatedly. He was describing some project that didn't seem relevant to Bucky's arm in the slightest. Stephen smirked at him, making a comment. Tony laughed.

Sam blinked, not sure what he was watching. He stood up, crossing the room.

"I could show you sometime, if you want. My labs pretty impressive."

"Oh, I don't doubt that."

Sam cleared his throat. Tony's eyes snapped to him, and he jumped away from the other man, blushing.

"Oh, um, Sammy." He gasped.

Sam raised a brow at how quickly Tony had dropped. He suddenly looked like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He closed the gap between him and his Caregiver. Sam scooped him up. Stephen didn't seem fazed by this in the slightest. He just nodded at Sam.

"We've come to an agreement. I think that this could work. Tony has offered that I come and provide assistance."

Sam gave Tony a surprised look and the Little blushed. Sam was pretty sure he wasn't fully Little.

"His hands, Sammy." Tony said, sounding almost awed.

"I told him about my hands. I was most likely never going to be able to work as a surgeon again, then I went to Wakanda. Shuri fixed them. She also allowed me to train with her for a stint of time. The girl was only fourteen. I can only imagine how phenomenal her skills have become since then. I can wholeheartedly say that I approve of this surgery for your little boy. He's in good hands, Mr. Wilson" Stephen said, earnestly.

Tony beamed at him.

Sam called Shuri. She told him to get Bucky to Wakanda as soon as possible and they'd get started. They were on a jet and headed there, within the hour. Three Littles, trying to get Big, their Caregiver and a doctor that Tony seemed awfully fond of.

* * *

"You have nothing to worry about, Bucky. Shuri is the best there is. Don't let her age and size fool you. She can blow you away with her science and medical skills. She can also kick your ass." Stephen told the nervous man.

Shuri laughed.

"I like to be well rounded. This ones not half bad himself. He's a good candidate to assist on this procedure, not that I really need an assistant. Stephen spent his year of fellowship with a focus on spinal surgery. I've no doubt that he's the finest in his field, at least, from the states." She said with a smirk.

Stephen rolled his eyes.

"You only say that, because you trained me."

Tony raised a brow.

"You spent your fellowship here?"

"Yes, I did."

"Hah, so much for a few pointers. Talk about modesty." Tony said eyeing the doctor with evident intrigue.

Stephen just shrugged. Bucky watched the way Tony looked at the man and frowned. Steve didn't seem to notice, his eyes trained on Bucky.

"If you don't mind, Shuri, I'd love to have a chance to look at this arm, before we attach it."

"Go ahead. I like to show off my masterpieces."

Stephen examined the prosthesis, picking it up to wriggle the fingers and study the mechanics of it.

"A marvel, isn't it? I've never seen anything like it." Stephen murmured, awed.

Tony grinned, walking over to run a hand down the length. It truly was magnificent. Better than Tony could ever have imagined. By the time the surgery was through, it would be so much more than just a prosthetic arm. It would be a limb like no other. Stronger, with greater reflexes and resistance than an arm consisting of bones, muscle, tendons and ligaments could ever possibly have.

"Any questions before we begin?" Shuri asked, dragging Tony's eyes away from where they were transfixed on the prosthetic.

Bucky only had one question that he cared about. He was scared to find out the answer.

"Will it hurt?"

She smiled sadly at him.

"Yes. You will be unconscious, though. Dr Strange will prescribe you heavy duty pain meds. You can expect at least a week of recovery, before it's healed enough for you to move. Then a week or so of extensive physical therapy, and follow up PT weekly for at least a few months. Assuming everything goes as planned. This isn't magic or a miracle. It's medicine and science."

Her words weren't unkind.

She had a sympathetic expression on her features, but it was clear that she had no intention of beating around the bush.

Bucky swallowed.

"Okay. Let's get this over with."

He sent Tony a what-have-you-gotten-me-into look.

"No pain, no gain, babe." Tony said, trying not to show just how nervous he was.

Steve looked like he was trying hard to put on a brave face, but Sam knew he was close to tears. Tony seemed to be handling it better, though Sam was pretty sure that was a facade, as well. They all hugged Bucky. Steve and Tony each kissing him, before leaving Shuri to it. Stephen stayed in the room, but Shuri insisted Tony would be better off waiting with Sam and Steve. She had to threaten to lock him out of her lab, before he finally went with Sam and Steve.

* * *

Stephen exited the room to find Tony pacing up and down the hall. His head snapped up.

"How is he?"

"He's fine. Everything's going as planned. I'm not really necessary, though I enjoyed observing. There's no need for me to stay for the whole thing."

"What if she needs you? You have to go back." Tony insisted.

Stephen raised a brow.

"She won't need me."

"You don't know that."

"I do. He's going to be fine, Tony."

Tony shook his head, blinking tears out of his eyes.

"What if he's not? This is all my fault."

"Hey, stop. You didn't do this to him. You weren't even on that train."

"I know that." Tony snapped. "I did talk him into doing this, though. He didn't want to. I told him to do it for me. I want this, more than he does. If- God, if this doesn't end well, I'm to blame for that."

"Oh, Tony. Shh, no. You're not, sweetheart. Come here." Stephen said.

Tony sobbed, collapsing into the man's arms. He clung to Stephen. His tears soaking the man's doctor's coat. When it became obvious that Tony had dropped, Stephen scooped him up and held him close, until Sam returned. Stephen passed the baby off to his Caregiver, and with a nod, he left.

* * *

Steve brushed Bucky's hair out of his eyes. They were closed, his blue orbs hidden behind eyelids. The pain meds had made him pass out. Steve couldn't leave his side though. Tony and Sam were talking to Shuri, but Steve was sitting by his bed. It wasn't a cheap hospital bed. It was perhaps even nicer than what Tony provided them with at the tower.

Steve sighed.

Everything had gone well, from what he'd heard. Bucky wasn't awake for the procedure, but he woke up shortly afterwards. He was put on meds immediately. They made him loopy. It had honestly been pretty comical. Steve would have found it even funnier, if he hadn't spent the last six hours worrying about the man.

Bucky looked so peaceful as he slept. The new arm was wrapped up and so was his entire torso and chest. He was more bandaged than not at this point. The sight just made Steve feel miserable. He just wanted to protect him and keep him safe, but it seemed impossible. Especially with their high risk job. Safety seemed out of reach. Steve leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

He just wanted this to turn out alright. Bucky had seemed fine. Shuri had the metal arm in a sling, so Bucky wouldn't move it too much. The arm itself may be metal, well, technically Shuri said it was made of some rare material called vibranium, but the rest of Bucky wasn't. His body needed time to heal, before he could start using the arm.

Seeing Bucky all bandaged up, once again, made all of their previous arguments seem so trivial. Even if not all of them were. Steve didn't want to think about their past. All he cared about right now was Bucky getting better. Maybe he could get away with brushing it all under the rug, at least for the time being.

* * *

Sam stopped Tony, before he entered Bucky's room.

"Tony? I know this probably shouldn't matter right now, but I have to ask. Do you like Dr Strange?"

Tony blushed, shrugging.

"He's... interesting."

Sam nodded.

"I'm not suggesting that you have to mention it to your partners everytime you find someone attractive, but I would advice you to mention it, if it's something more than that."

Tony sighed.

"It's nothing, Sam. I promise. He impressed me. That's all."

"I imagine that doesn't happen often for you."

Tony smirked.

"You'd be surprised. I'm surrounded by people who manage to impress me on a regular basis. You included." Tony said, clapping him on the shoulder, before walking off.

Sam paused for a moment, smiling softly. He followed after Tony.

**Author's Note:**

> Bucky officially has two arms from here on out, unless he tragically loses one again lol 
> 
> That's not something I'm planning on doing, but someone did suggest having Steve's plane crash incorporated into this AU, and I'm really down with that guys!
> 
> At like some point in the distant future. 
> 
> I have things pretty well planned out at this point, as to where I see things heading for these characters. There are so many smaller story arcs I'm tryna fit in, in between the larger ones and it's kinda crazy. I kinda love the chaos. 
> 
> I hope you guys don't feel overwhelmed by too much happening. There's definitely a lot going on. Even I struggle to keep track of it all sometimes. 
> 
> I have no plans to slow that down tho. So, if it becomes too much you might need to jump ship, cuz we're not making no stops. Straight on till no end in sight, y'all


End file.
